


If You Give a Ginger a Biscuit...

by dharmageek



Series: Family is Everything [2]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Age Difference, Because Dragons, Eventual Romance, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mother of the year Tina Scamander, Newt is the best Dad, Nymphadora Tonks being Awesome, Oblivous boys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2018-03-06
Packaged: 2018-11-13 04:50:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11177397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dharmageek/pseuds/dharmageek
Summary: Atticus Scamander, son of Newt and Tina Scamander, was content with his life. He was a sought-after barrister and partner in Bones, Scamander, and Tonks. He had a successful career, a strong network of friends, and a loving family. He had more to accomplish, but those things would come with work and time. Little did he know that the simple act of sharing a biscuit would bring about a dear friendship and a lot more trouble than his heart could imagine.Charles Weasley, son of Arthur and Molly Weasley, was on his way up in the world. Sure he fancied dragons more than girls, but they were dragons for Merlin's sake it wasn't exactly a contest. Anyway, his best friend was enough of a heroine for a battalion of men. She even had access to some of the best legal minds in Britian for those times when her Auror skills couldn't save the day. So why was he tongue-tied and blushing around a man old enough to be his father and completely oblivious to his Weasley charm?(Charlie Weasley/OC)Prequel side story for Family is Everything





	1. If you give a ginger a biscuit...

**Author's Note:**

> J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. Dharmageek owns the characters and items that appear in the story Family is Everything that are not found in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Golly, that is convenient. 
> 
> This is a side story for Family is Everything. This has been rewritten from its original posting, special thanks to a27cat for calling me out the need for a rewrite.

_August 16, 1991_

Charlie Weasley was running late. He had promised his best friend, Tonks, that he would meet her when she got off of work at a muggle coffee house. He noticed the patrons looked rather exotic for muggles as he entered the unfinished building filled with pub tables and a large bar with shiny copper equipment.

"Wotcher, Charlie! Over here!" Tonks shouted from a corner, her bright hair fitting in with the other patrons.

He meandered over to the table, and she pushed a cup towards him. "Hot Chocolate," she said with a smile.

Charlie ignored the drink and gave his friend a one-armed hug. "Gods, I missed you."

Tonks laughed. "Already, you've only been in Romania for two months." She hugged him back before leaning back to look at him. "How's the family?"

"Alright, Mum's a right mess. Her little Ronnikins is off to Hogwarts, and in a year there won't be any more little birds in the nest." Charlie said running his hand through his hair. "Finally, calmed her down enough to visit you." Tonks laughed, and Charlie pointed at her. "Don't laugh, the only way she agreed to me going to London today was by promising to bring you round for supper tonight. I still almost didn't make it, I think she might try binding me to the property if I'm not careful."

"Well, you are her ickle Charlie after all," Tonks said morphing into Molly Weasley for a moment and pinching his cheeks.

The burlier wizard playfully pushed her away. "If you keep morphing into my mother, she'll try to get you to marry me."

Tonks quirked an eyebrow. "I don't think I'd hold your interest."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Charlie asked as he sipped his drink.

"I'm not a dragon." Tonks teased making her hair spikier and changing her eyes. She took a long pull from her coffee. "Anyway, I asked you here for a reason. I think we need to be looking towards the future."

"Are you trying to make an honest wizard out of me, Tonks?" Charlie said innocently. "I might go for it, you know? Though I expect you to kneel down and that rock better be huge."

"You are going to have to do better than that to fluster me, Weasley. I just got done training with a man that hexed me 67 times today," she morphed her face into that of Alastor Moody. "For yer' own good, lass. Constant Vigilance, Nymphadora. Pretty Aurors aren't a long-lived bunch." She changed back as Charlie stopped laughing and wiped the tears from his eyes. "He brought up a good point though. I want you to come with me while I set up my will."

_____________________________________  
_

Atticus Scamander sat at his desk in his shirtsleeves and trousers, his robes thrown over one of the reception chairs. He tried to blow his thinning blond fringe out of his eyes; it was currently too long stay in place and too short to stay tucked in his braid. He stroked his neatly trimmed Van Dyke and picked up a note attached to a tin of biscuits.

_Thank you for your help. I will keep you posted if any new developments arise._

_Behave yourself,_

_Bunny_

_P.S. Please find cookies enclosed, Mom and Trixie have been stress baking._

Atticus opened the tin and looked inside. “It looks like Aunt Queenie and Trixie have outdone themselves again.” He said to himself before summoning the tea service.

Atticus Scamander had been an active partner in Bones, Scamander, and Tonks for almost a decade. The practice was thriving, and his work was made more fulfilling in having the opportunity to partner with his childhood friend, Edward Tonks.

His parents, Newt and Tina Scamander, were proud of his accomplishments. His parents wanted the best for him and often asked if he was seeing anyone.

Atticus wasn’t on the market though, it had been almost five years, and he felt like he had better things to do with his life than chase after romantic entanglements. He had important things that needed his attention, including reversing the biggest action of the International Statue of Secrecy that had ever been issued on an individual.

Despite being uninterested, he acknowledged that conversations generally centered around the topic of dating and mating. And it wasn't like he was a leper. He was relatively attractive in the right light in a bookish old-fashioned sort of way. In fact, three of his boyfriends, often accused him of being charming and debonaire. Of course, the fourth had accused him of being a blood-traitor poofter with the personality and sex drive of a flobberworm but that bastard was a poncy falandering git anyway.

Atticus chuckled to himself. He scanned the biscuit tin and pulled out his favorite. He poured and fixed his tea, and dunked his biscuit. He looked up from selecting a second sweet as he heard arguing coming from the corridor.

“Nymphadora, I don’t think this is a good idea. I mean we aren’t even twenty yet, why do we need wills? Ouch!” A man’s voice said.

“Oi', don’t call me Nymphadora. And it is a brilliant idea, the last thing your Mum needs is to worry over how she is going to pay for funeral services when the Reserve notifies her that you’ve been eaten up by some dragon.” A girl hissed.

A moment later a knock sounded on the door. Atticus swallowed his bite of biscuit. “Who is it?” He called out, and the door pushed open to reveal a shock of violet hair on a pixieish witch.

“Wotcher, Atti. Do you have a minute?” A young woman in Auror robes asked.

 “Hello, Dora.” He replied with a smile. “I am afraid your Dad is off with your Mum on a..” He shifted uncomfortably, “long lunch break. You might not want to go home right now.”

“That is convenient then because we wanted to talk to you.” The young witch walked in dragging a slightly taller and barrel-chested red headed man.

“Dora, this is unnecessary. I’m sure the Reserve will take care of things if something happens.” The man hissed.

“Shut it, Charlie!” Dora growled before smiling sweetly at her Dad’s law partner. “Atti, Charlie and I,” she indicated herself and the red head that was currently staring at him. “We are both going into dangerous careers, and we were wondering if you could help us each set up a will and a trust. If something were to happen…” She stopped as her voice cracked.

Atticus stood up and crossed to Dora. He had known her most of her life, so it didn't surprise him when she rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped her in a hug. “Listen, poppet. You are doing the right thing. It never hurts to be pro-active.” He squeezed her shoulders. “Best case, you can have a good laugh about who you left your hot plate and collection of chocolate frog cards to when you were 18.”

Dora laughed and playfully pushed him away. “You always know what to say.”

“Must be how I can get away with charging clients 50 galleons an hour,” Atticus said with a wink.

The young man, Charlie, started pulling Dora towards the door. “We are sorry for taking up your time, Sir.”

Atticus chuckled. “Don’t worry, lad. Friends and family are free,” he pretended to cover his mouth and stage whispered. “Otherwise our offices would be much nicer. Please have a seat.” He motioned towards the guest chairs and moved his dress robes.

Charlie and Dora sat across from his desk, and Atticus sat on the corner of the monstrosity. “So let's start with basics, my name is Atticus, and what I can do for you is draw up three documents, a living will, a last will and testament, and a trust. Now, I’ve known Dora since she was a babe but I am afraid we haven’t been introduced.” He stood and extended his hand to Charlie.

“Sorry, Charles Weasley.” The man mumbled before shaking Atticus's hand. An action he held for too long as he stared at their joined hands. Atticus gave him a bemused look and gently broke the handshake.

“Right then,” Atticus said trying to lessen the awkward tension. “So Dora and Mr. Weasley, what I need from you are a list of your possessions, a list of any land you might own, your Gringotts account information, and a person or a list of people you would like to execute your wishes in the case of something happening. This person will need to be notified that the will is in place and that they will be in charge of executing it if something happens. Now usually for people your age a parent is set..”

Charlie jumped up. “My parents can’t know about this! I barely just talked my Mum around to…”

Atticus stood up and helped Charlie back into his seat. “Charlie, can I call you, Charlie?” The man nodded the tips of his ears coloring slightly. “Charlie, it doesn’t have to be your parents. It can be anyone of age that you trust, in fact, I would recommend you each do a list naming each other as a possible executor plus two other people. That way if you have a falling out with someone, you can just strike their name from the list, and you will not have to worry about finding a replacement or upsetting your dear old mum.” The counselor gave a reassuring smile to the young man. _He's a bit shy, but I'm sure he has a bright future ahead of him. I'm glad Dora has him, she deserves good friends._ He thought cheerfully before being interrupted by the very same witch.

Dora raised her hand to get the older wizard’s attention. “Yes, Dora,” Atticus said turning to her.

“Not to change the subject, but those wouldn’t happen to be Christmas biscuits? Like the ones you bring over on Christmas Eve?” Dora was sitting up very straight trying to see into the tin. Almost on cue Charlie’s stomach grumbled causing Atticus to laugh and Charlie to turn a unique shade of red.

The older wizard smiled. “Well, it isn’t Christmas, but they are biscuits.” He passed the tin over to her.

“Oi,’ I haven’t seen any of these before. What’s this one?” She held up a heart-shaped biscuit.

“That would be a shortbread heart with blackberries. They are my favorite so leave me at least one.” He said with a smile and then pointed to the dome-shaped biscuit she had pulled out. “That would be a chocolate rugelach. There are two other kinds of shortbread, some date pinwheels, some molasses cookies, and some plum and apricot hamantaschen as well. Please take as much as you like, I was just going to share the leftovers with my friend, Jacob, this weekend.”

Charlie was gazing intently at Dora and the tin of biscuits. Dora caught his eye and then looked at Atticus sheepishly as if remembering what her mother would say in this situation. She daintily took a biscuit. Atticus shook his head. “If you are going to ask about the biscuit tin and then request biscuits, you better finish the job properly.” He summoned two plates and overfilled them with sweets. He then handed them to his guests. “You are both just starting out. You are supposed to take advantage of the free food thrust upon you by your parent's friends. That is how this works.”

The young Auror let out a giggle and took the plate. Accepting Atticus’s little speech as permission to enjoy eating, Dora inhaled a piece of rugelach. “Oh my god, these are amazing.”

Charlie took the plate Atticus offered him and blushed slightly at the kindness. Timidly, he took a bite of a molasses cookie and gave the barrister a brilliant smile. “Thank you.”

Atticus smiled back. "You are quite welcome young man. Any friend of Dora's is a friend of mine, we are family afterall."

The young Auror squealed at this. "Does that mean I can call you Uncle Atti?"

"You used to, Nymphadora." He said with a smirk as the young witch's hair flared red.

_____________________________________

Charlie walked into the Burrow with Tonks. He was dazed and holding two plates of biscuits. He walked into the kitchen and set the plates on the table. He felt slightly guilty that he and Tonks hadn't left any of their favorites on the plates. He had two molasses cookies burning a hole in his pocket but they had been...magical. _Could biscuits be magical? My mother is the best cook I know, better than any house-elf and I am hording biscuits from an old bachelor's care package._ He thought.

Tonks looked around the kitchen and dining room. "It looks like everyone is in the back garden." She hopped up on the table in a small act of rebellion. "Seems like it is just us, hippogriffs." She said with a bemused look. "You ok, Charlie? You've been awfully quiet. You looked like you were afraid Atti was going to eat you." She let out a light laugh. "I know lawyers have a scary reputation, but they don't have anything on dragons."

He looked at her intently for a moment. "I wasn't expecting that." He grumbled and went about making tea.

Tonks pulled a shortbread heart from her pocket and broke it in half handing him one side. "What were you expecting?" She asked causing him to blush. Tonks stared at him in disbelief. "Oh come off it, Charlie, it was just Atti."

"You said he was one of your Dad's friends. You never mentioned he was charming or handsome. He is just so...so..." Charlie frowned as he was at a loss for words.

"Were we meeting with the same wizard? Did you Portkey out with a time-turner when I wasn't looking?" She teased. "It's Atti. He's not handsome, an adorable sweetheart definately, but he's just a regular bloke. He rides a muggle bicycle to work and hikes on the weekend. He grabs a pint with my Dad, when they think my Mum doesn't know. He plays golf with my Dad and his muggle friend, Jacob, just so he can see how far he push the limits of appropriate muggle attire."

Charlie pouted. "He wasn't what I was expecting, I've never met anyone like him before. You should have warned me."

"Warned you? Warned you about what? That he makes bad jokes and is good at his job. Or that Scamanders are as worse about feeding people than Weasleys?" Tonks took a bite of shortbread. "Not that I am complaining, I have eaten my fair share of Atti's care packages. Once Mrs. Scamander sent him an apple struddel when my Mum was away at a conference. Don't tell her, but Dad, Atti, and I had struddel and ice cream for dinner two nights in a row."

Charlie stared at her dumbfounded. "Scamander? As in Newt Scamander?"

Tonks looked at her friend as if he had gone mad. "Yeah, he's Atti's Dad. Come on Charlie, the name of the firm is Bones, Scamander, and Tonks."

"On top of everything else, he's a Scamander? The son of my childhood hero?" Charlie said as he dropped the half biscuit Tonks had handed him and scrubbed his face with his hand. "And you let me just blush and stammer in front of him like a lovesick school boy? What must he think of me? Fuck!" He heard a femine gasp. He turned and paled as he saw Ginny staring at him wide-eyed.

"Charlie!" Ginny admonished. "Mum said we are never to use that word."

The second oldest Weasley boy forced a smile and scooped up the youngest Weasley in his arms. "How much for your silence?" He asked showing her the biscuits on the table.

"First pick and one of the one's you're keeping in your pocket." The little girl said with an impish grin.

He relunctantly handed her a molasses cookie. "Not a word of this to anyone." He said holding out his pinkie.


	2. If you give a ginger legal advice…

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie receives a letter from his brother and seeks out the Tonkses for help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and the Wizarding World. I wonder if she charges them rent? 
> 
> All items regarding the Sunshine Sanctuary for Sick Dragons belong to Terry Pratchett and the Discworld. 
> 
> Warning: Naughty language ahead.

_October 19, 1991_

Charlie Weasley sat at a small table near the fireplace at the Dragon’s Claw Pub in Timisoara, Romania. He and his fellow dragon handlers were on a four-day leave after monitoring several Hungarian Horntails during mating season. As tired as he was, he still managed to carefully monitor the door waiting for his best friend to arrive. It had been over a month since he had last seen her and so much had happened.

He had to keep himself from jumping up when she stumbled through the door almost knocked over by a strong wind. He stood, raising his hand so she could see him. She gave him a huge grin and strode in his direction past the bar. A large patron attempted to spin her around and pull her in for a kiss. His amorous maneuver was met with a swift knee to the bollocks followed by a stunner. Tonks straightened her robes and stepped over the prone man.

“Wotcher, Charlie!” She said as she sat at the small table and gestured to the man on the floor. “Can’t escape wankers I guess.” She grinned brightly at her friend. “So what is bothering you so much that you begged me to portkey on my one day off from training.”

“Technically, you just got off work. And you can always skeeve off Monday, right?” Charlie said with a chuckle.

“Not in my wildest dreams,” Tonks morphed into Mad Eye Moody. “Nymphadora, your Mum better have a body to show me if you aren’t here at 9 AM on Monday.” She transformed back to normal. “Technically, it is 1 AM here, which means that it is my day off, so you best take your freckly arse over to the bar and buy a lady a drink.”

Charlie burst out laughing. “I missed you, Tonks. Be right back.”

Charlie returned with a firewhiskey for himself and a hard cider for Tonks.

She smiled up at him, “So spill…”, she started.

The pub matron shooed them out around 5 A.M. Insisting that a nice couple should be sleeping or making babies at this hour, not having deep discussions in a pub. After their deep discussion, they both found her insinuations hilarious, and Tonks almost fell over from laughing so hard.

They continued their conversation as they walked the city. As the early morning light began to illuminate the eastern sky, Tonks turned to him. “So this Greg, are you going to see him again?”

“His name is Grigori and probably not.” Charlie shrugged. “The kisses were brilliant, but we didn’t have much in common. He thought dragons were sort of boring. If he hadn’t had kissed me, I would have walked away if I heard another word about the Gilly Weed Market or the rising cost of Aconitum.” He stopped walking. "It sounds silly, but I still want what Mum and Dad have."

Tonks kissed Charlie on the cheek, “doesn't sound silly at all.” She brushed the hair out of his eyes. “I worry about you, you know?”

“I'm right as rain. Just don’t go telling my Mum, ok?” The young man frowned and sat down on the curb. “I’ve gone and bollocksed my life up, haven’t I?”

“You’ve done no such thing,” Tonks said sitting next to him and wrapping her arm around him. “You’re just being you is all, and I happen to like you, Charlie Weasley.”

“You'd still love me even if I fancy blokes over girls?” Charlie said with a playful smile.

“I would love you if you fancied dragons, which I still think you might...a little anyway.” She let him drape an arm around her. “I will love you no matter what, loyal to the end.” She smirked at him impishly. “Even if you are a noble prat and it is a bit weird that you fancy my Uncle.”

Charlie leaned back and laughed. “I am regretting telling you that and Atticus is not your Uncle.” He playfully punched her in the arm. “And I don’t fancy him. I just think he’s fit…for an older bloke.” He started coloring as he said this last part.

“Whatever you say, love.” She said stumbling to her feet and pulling him up. “Either way, you owe me a breakfast.”

_May 9 th, 1992_

Charlie Weasley awoke to the sound of a very cross woman shouting Rennervate. He opened his eyes to see a fuming Andromeda Tonks in her pale pink robe and nightgown was glowering at him. He flinched on instinct and tried to sink deeper into the couch. His fears of Andromeda Tonks cursing him were completely wrong though as Ted pushed past her and cast a couple stinging hexes at him.

“DAMN IT, CHARLIE!” He bellowed. “It is five in the bloody morning. We thought you were a fucking Deatheater barging in like that. And the only things that kept me from blasting you into the next life were Andromeda, Dora, and a couple of well placed defensive spells on their parts.”

Charlie looked past Ted to see a very sleepy Dora leaning against the wall and a smirking Andromeda with a gleam of pride in her eyes directed at Ted. This wasn’t the Ted he knew, the big teddy bear that bought ice cream, talked Quidditch and was warm, funny, and supportive. This was the Ted Tonks that loved his family fiercely and was willing to die while killing as many intruders along the way as he could to keep that family safe. _What was it Professor Sprout warned me the first time I selected the wrong barrel? Those that enter a badger’s den with ill intentions rarely come out alive let alone unscathed._

He blinked trying to gather his wits remembering how he had just run up to the house and started pounding on the door. _Why had I done that?_ He thought, his head throbbing from the first spell Ted had hit him with as he burst through the door. He reached into his pocket when he remembered, the letter.

“Ron and his friends are in trouble.” He said carefully looking Ted in the eyes as he slowly handed over the letter.

Ted quickly scanned it. “A fucking dragon? What the hell is Hagrid thinking? And why is he letting children near it let alone handle it closely enough to be bitten?”

Charlie relaxed slightly as the ire of Ted Tonks was transferred on to Hagrid. The man thrust the letter back to Charlie and stormed off to the kitchen, cursing under his breath with every step. Andromeda followed him, chuckling slightly at her husband.

Dora picked up a throw pillow from the floor and tossed it at Charlie’s head. “You are a right wanker, Charlie Weasley. You know that?”

“I’m sorry, I forgot about the time difference. I thought it would be a little before 7.” He said sheepishly and rubbed his temples. “I probably should have also flooed ahead or knocked and patiently waited for your Dad to answer the door.

“You think?” She asked rolling her eyes before tossing him a vial of headache relief potion.

“Thanks, Dora.” He said as he pulled the stopper out and held up the vial in a makeshift toast. “Cheers!” He downed it in one gulp.

Tonks smirked at the face he made. “You are a lucky man to have such good friends, Weasely.”

“I know,” Charlie said as he smiled up at her.

"You are lucky I am willing to sacrifice my lie-in on my day off for you." The metamorphmagus huffed even though her eyes were smiling. “We better get in there, or it is going to be a rehash of Christmas break 1988.”

“What? Don’t fancy watching your folks snog in the kitchen?” Charlie stood up. “And here I thought you were one of those romantics, waiting for your Colonel Darcy to sweep you away from your roguish suitors.”

“First off, it is Colonel Brandon, and why the fuck I ever told you about that I will never know.” She started tapping her boot. “Secondly, how about I send over some amorous amaretto chocolates round your folks’ place next time you visit, and we’ll see how much you like romance?”

The dragon handler paled for a moment. “Point taken, shall we?”

Dora and Charlie entered the kitchen to find Andromeda draped over Ted’s lap kissing him soundly. Dora quickly and loudly cleared her throat. “Hem-Hem…Children present.”

“You are an adult, Nymphadora,” Andromeda said with a smirk. “Or at least that is what you keep telling me.” His friend’s mother stood up and adjusted her dressing gown.

Ted slid his chair further under the table and looked at his daughter coloring slightly at being caught. “Your mother spoke with Atti. He’s expecting you two. You are to go over to his place straight away, and he will go over your options.”

Charlie swallowed hard. “Mr. Scamander?” He asked feeling like his face was going ignite. His heart felt like it was going to jump out of his chest. “I’m sure we don’t have to bother him with this.”

Ted shook his head. “Atti is your best bet at fixing this, Mr. Weasley.” The generally affable man said tersely. “He’s been researching these sorts of cases since we were school together, he knows creature law like a niffler knows treasure.”

Tonks determined the best course of action after casting a quick glance between her best friend and her Dad. “Right, then. We’ll be off.” She proclaimed and dragged Charlie into the front parlor where the guest floo was located. “Oi’, you done poked the dragon, mate. Last time I saw him this angry, Uncle Lucy said something nasty within earshot of Mum.”

Charlie was distracted by the idea of that poncy git getting taken on by someone as non-threatening as Ted. “What happened?”

“Ever wondered why he walks with a cane?” Dora said with a pixyish gleam in her eye.

_______________________________________

It had been a rough night, and Atticus gave up on trying to sleep around four. By a quarter past, he had decided to clear his head with an early morning run. Well maybe not a run, more of a jogger’s hike, but it was invigorating, and he had worked up a sweat. In fact, it had been warm enough that he left his fleece at the house.

As he walked into the kitchen to start tea, his floo sprang to life, and an exceptionally angry Ted Tonks was yelling at him. _Gods, who was fool enough to poke a badger at half past five in the morning?_ He thought and tried to present as calming as possible while letting Ted blow off this head of steam.

By the time Ted had finished screaming, Atti had surmised that the groundskeeper at Hogwarts had gotten his hands on an illegally traded dragon’s egg, said egg had hatched into a dragon and said dragon had bitten and poisoned Charlie Weasely’s little brother. Ted was about to go on another tirade about the red menace that was Charlie Weasely when he was pulled from the floo and Andromeda appeared.

Atti did his best to not laugh at the look in her eyes. He had seen it many times right before she had dragged Ted off to one of the couples famous four-hour lunches. “Dromeda,” Atti said with a slight bow. “How can I help?”

The normally prim and proper witch was beaming like a schoolgirl. “Can you please help Nymphadora and Charlie with their dragon situation? And then maybe take them out to breakfast? I need to calm Ted down. Charlie gave us both quite a fright.” Noticing Atticus’s smile, Andromeda’s expression turned serious almost challenging him to say anything.

“I will keep them busy for a few hours, Dromeda. Let Ted know since we don’t have any appointments I will be working from home too.” Atticus said with a light chuckle.

“Of course, Atti,” Andromeda said with a wink and disappeared from the flames.

Atti sighed and continued making tea. He selected a larger pot and three teacups instead of his usual morning mug. He looked at it mournfully, the dark blue stoneware magically cycling through Ilvermorny’s current slogan, _Be United, Be Balanced, Be Magical, Be Ilvermorny._

_Screw propriety, it is too early, and I am too old to care_ , he thought and pulled out the matching dark blue mugs that had been gifted to him at Christmas by his niece and nephew that proclaimed _Be Clever, Be Horned Serpent_ and _Be Bold, Be Thunderbird_.

Just as the tea was set up, Dora and Charlie tumbled through the kitchen floo. “Good Morning,” Atticus said brightly. “Please have a seat, Dora, Mr. Weasley.” He motioned to the well-loved looking kitchen table and benches.

They both stood still not making a move towards the table. Charlie was staring at him with his mouth slightly open.

Dora snorted, “A bit underdressed, Atti?” She asked smirking slightly. “By the way, very nice legs,” she said in a sultry voice before dissolving into giggles.

Atticus looked down. He was still wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and trainers from his run. “Ah..bugger.” He moved, so the counter obscured him. “I will be right down I forgot to change after my run. Stop laughing, Dora!” He exclaimed as he ran out of the kitchen.

___________________________________________

Charlie Weasley stepped out of the fireplace into a large, well-appointed kitchen that his mother would probably hex a Malfoy for without a second thought. The hearth was huge and opened onto a stone floor, the stove and sink were white enamel, the counters were a dark green unpolished stone, and large picture windows lined the room flooding it with sunlight. He stopped his inspection though when his eyes fell on his host.

There in front of him was the most adorable sight he had ever seen. Atticus Scamander was in the process of making them tea. His hair was tousled, and he was clad in shorts, trainers, and a bright red t-shirt that read Sunshine Sanctuary for Sick Dragons in gold lettering. He just wanted to give the man a good cuddle and ask him about his t-shirt or maybe ask about his t-shirt and then give him a cuddle. He groaned to himself at the inappropriateness of both ideas.

Tonks prodded him with her elbow, and he noticed Atticus had left the kitchen. “Wool gathering, Charlie?” She said with a smirk.

_Why does she have to pick up on everything?_ He thought to himself. Charlie had done his best to not think about the solicitor the past six months. He had even gone out with a couple more blokes. He quickly discovered he preferred kissing men to birds, but his mind would wander back to the charming attorney. _I really need to get over this stupid crush_ , he thought to himself as part of him wondered if Atticus was a good kisser.

Charlie was pulled from his revelry when Tonks thrust a mug of tea into his hands. “I call Thunderbird!” She chirped and savored the tea. “He always has the best tea and the best mugs.”

The dragon handler took a swig from the mug and enjoyed the flavor of the milky tea. He was surprised that Atticus even used mugs. He thought the man so refined that he would only drink the finest tea out of cups made from bone china as thin as paper.

Tonks smiled as she inspected the mug with its flashing slogan. “I wish Hogwarts had stuff like this. Like, be Wise, be Ravenclaw, or be a sneaky bastard, be Slytherin, or be a noble prat, be Gryffindor.”

Charlie swallowed. “Or be a potato, be Hufflepuff.” He ducked as Tonks tossed a biscuit at his head.

“I dare you to tell my Dad that,” she replied and stood up from the table. Charlie followed her as she headed out of the kitchen to a study.

Tonks flopped down on a large soft brown leather couch and with a yawn stretched out. Charlie walked around the room looking at the art and mementos placed on bookcases. He smiled at a small statue of a baby dragon holding a sign saying _Don’t let my flame go out!_

He stopped and picked up a wizarding photograph in a silver frame. It was of teenage Atticus surrounded by two younger girls and a younger boy, which were probably his siblings going by the matching shades of blonde hair and blue eyes. The siblings wore matching school uniforms and distinct expressions of mischief. To Atticus’s right was a slightly chubby but solid boy with dark hair dressed in jeans and shirtsleeves. The three boys had their arms draped over each other’s shoulders, and the girls flanked them on either side. The bottom of the picture read in white pencil, the three musketeers and their bodyguards, 1962.

Charlie set the picture down and continued his exploration. He walked over to the library table that butted up against the back of the couch. On prominent display was a photograph of Atticus and a beautiful young woman. She was tall and willowy with dark curly hair and deep blue eyes. The picture had been taken outside a church and Atticus was wearing fine black wizarding robes. The girl wore beautiful twilight blue dress robes and had the poise of a pureblood witch. The couple in the picture smiled and laughed. Occasionally, Atticus or the girl would peck the other on the cheek and look at other dreamily.

_Too good to be true_ , Charlie thought to himself. He wondered where this mystery girl was at these days. He picked up a large book on the coffee table that showed a picture of a pub and had the title Stonewall. He turned his head when he heard a noise by the door.

“Interesting piece of history that, ” Atticus said stepping into the room. He had changed into slacks, a dress shirt, and a vest. “If you would like to borrow it, you can. Just give it back to Dora, when you are done.” The man crossed to the couch and looked down. “Speaking of, I think it is best if we let her sleep and we can talk in the kitchen.”

Sometime later Charlie sat at the kitchen table while tracing the pryographic logo on its edge that read Kowalski Quality Baked Goods. Atticus had read the letter and told him to have a seat while he thought things over. The older wizard was at the stove whipping up a quick fry-up of eggs, tomatoes, bread, and kippers. Atticus hummed as he manned the stove. If Charlie thought about it, the scene was quite domestic. He had to keep himself from imagining what it would be like to be in this kitchen in ten or twenty years.

Atticus cleared this throat bringing Charlie’s attention back to him. “I was saying you are lucky you came for breakfast, anything more elaborate than a quick fry up I am at a total loss. My brother had the luck to inherit all the domestic skills, this place stays tidy by the grace of my housekeeper, and I am sadly dependent on the kindness of my friends and relatives for proper diners.” He flipped several things on the stovetop with a flick of his wand. “I’m afraid with Dora, you are either going to need to learn to cook or love take-a-ways. I’m not saying that she couldn’t learn, the girl had straight O’s in potions, but I think she doesn’t want to be chained to a stove.” He smiled cheerfully at Charlie. “Not that I blame her one bit, I think this will fill my quota on cooking for the year. Now if Andromeda were here we would be eating like kings right about now." He cracked a couple eggs into a skillet. "How long have you and Dora known each other?”

Charlie felt puzzled by the question. “Oh, Tonks and I have known each other since first-year. We were best friends all through school.”

“Friends first is always the best way,” Atticus said wistfully. “My parents were friends for years before anything started formally. Although, both will tell you that they fancied the pants off the other long before then. How long have you and Dora been a couple? I know she visits you in Romania from time to time.”

Charlie started choking on his tea. “Tonks…Tonks and I aren’t a couple. She’s like my sister.” He felt a blush creeping up his cheeks and mumbled, “and I don’t fancy women.”

“Sorry about that, I should know better than to assume. You should definitely consider borrowing that book then.” Atticus let out a nervous laugh. “So Ron is your youngest brother?”

“Yes,” Charlie said. Despite himself, he was trying not to smile at the older wizard’s embarrassment. “He just started Hogwarts this year, sorted into Gryffindor. I have one sister left at home, but she is set to start this September.”

“You must be excited for her,” Atticus replied with a smile. “How many siblings do you have, Charlie?”

Charlie anxiously ran his hand through his hair remembering what his family would say about what he had been thinking a few moments before. “Five brothers and one sister. I saw the picture in the study, do you just have the three siblings?”

Sadness flashed in the older man’s eyes for a moment. “Just one brother, he passed some time ago, but I am still close with his children and his wife.” He smiled again, “The girls in the picture are my cousins, my father and his brother married my mother and her sister, so we all look like we came from the same litter.” Atticus said with a laugh. “I have three other cousins. We grew up as close as siblings.”

“Big extended family?” Charlie asked with a smile.

“Of a sort, my Mum’s sister had five children, and we were all raised as siblings. My cousin Jakey and I are the closest in age. Beatrice and Benedict are the youngest by almost 15 years. There is a good picture of Beatrice and I playing it up for the camera on the library table.” He looked wistful for a moment.

“The girl in the picture is your cousin?” Charlie asked cautiously trying not to get his hopes up or insult his host.

Atticus gave a warm laugh. “Of course, wonderful girl, she’s as clever as you can get with a heart as big as a city. Beautiful inside and out.”

Charlie gave him a puzzled look. “I was your age once, it is hard to figure things out at first, but you will make friends and find communities.” He paused for a moment before continuing as if considering what to say next. “I fancy men.” Charlie’s heart soared as he heard the words, but Atticus continued in a serious tone. “Unfortunately, while it is not illegal to fancy men, it is technically illegal to be in a romantic relationship with someone of the same sex, and there is nothing to stop people from discriminating for sexual preference.” He smiled wryly. “So sometimes, you have to be bit clever. A carefully placed photograph of a pretty cousin in front of a church, plus the occasional use of a wedding ring seems to make the questions go away. You have no idea how many times that picture has saved my hide, despite her being very clearly dementor bait. She was only 13 at the time, but marrying your pubescent cousin is the thing to do among pureblood set.” He said with a wink.

Tonks walked into the room yawning, “That smells amazing.” She said sleepily. “Got any coffee?”

Atticus chuckled. “The French press and the coffee are in the third cabinet on the left.”

Tonks wrapped an arm around the older wizard and Charlie noticed she was only an inch or two shorter than he was. “You are a god among men, Atti.” She said with a grateful smile.

He turned and kissed her cheek. “I haven’t heard that in a while,” he retorted causing her to giggle.

She pulled out a stainless steel press. “You know me too well, Atti.”

Atti grinned at her. “Actually, that is because Andromeda accidentally broke the last glass one. Don’t tell her I told you that, it was when you were still in Hogwarts. She was upset about something her family had done.” He said sobering a bit. “Milk and sugar are already on the table for the tea. Come and sit down, I am about to bring the food over and go over this with Charlie.”

Dora filled the press halfway with coffee and hot water before walking it to over to the table.

Atticus levitated the plates to the table. “There is more on the stove if you want it.”

Charlie and Tonks nodded their thanks and dug in as Atticus reread the letter. “So, our best course of action is to notify the Ministry that a dragon egg was found in the Forbidden Forest and Hagrid tended it not knowing that it would be a dragon. Lots of creatures lay eggs the size of a dragon egg and only a handful are classified as controlled. Then we will need to get the dragon out of there today. It will take the Ministry a few days to send out agents so the sooner it is gone, the better.”

Charlie was relieved at the straightforward plan."My friends and I can fly it out of there tonight." 

Tonks glared at the Atticus. “But it's Hagrid. I’m sure he knew it was a dragon egg.”

“Did he tell either of you that directly?” They both shook their heads no. “Then it is hearsay at worse, a possible misunderstanding at best. The only facts we know are Hagrid had an egg, and it hatched into a dragon. It could have hatched into a wide variety of things, but once it hatched into a dragon, a dragon expert was contacted to relocate it.”

Charlie smiled and nodded, but Tonks was fuming. “That is absolute bollocks, and you know it, Atti.”

“Yes, it is but the other option isn’t a very pleasant one.” Atticus poured more tea into his mug. “We go the Ministry and tell them that a half-giant with a criminal record and no means of support outside of Hogwarts came into the possession of a dragon egg. He then proceeded to take that dragon egg to his residence less than a quarter mile from the dormitories of more than two hundred children. Once there, he nurtured that egg, which developed into a Hungarian Horntail hatchling. That hatchling has since bitten and poisoned a student of…how old is your brother, Charlie?”

“Twelve, Mr. Scamander,” Charlie said with a sigh and gave a pained look to Tonks. Tonks bless her heart was becoming paler by the moment.

“Charlie, after all this you have earned the right to call me Atti.” He chuckled. “Where was I? Oh yes, the dragon then bit and poisoned a twelve-year wizard. A bite that if left untreated would have killed him.” Atticus finished a little too brightly. “You’re from a pureblood family, aren’t you Charlie?”

“Yes,” Charlie said putting his head in his hands.

“So a Half-breed, repeat offender smuggles an illegal and dangerous creature into a magical school full of children, and he very nearly kills a white, pureblooded twelve-year-old wizard.” Atticus took a large swig of tea, setting his mug a little too forcefully on the table. “Do you want to see Hagrid go live with the Dementors, Dora? Because the only thing saving his skin right now is the fact that Charlie’s parents don’t know or haven’t pressed charges. Trust me, if Charlie came from the obscene money of the Malfoys or Blacks…let’s just say Hagrid would be on a receiving end of a truly horrible snog right about now.”

Dora bit her lip. “But what we will be filing is a lie. Hagrid knew it was a dragon egg.”

“I don’t know that. I have not heard a single thing directly from Hagrid and quite frankly, the whole thing sounds like a setup. You know who my Dad is, believe me, dragon eggs don’t just pop up out of the blue.” Atticus said with a cheerfully sharp manner.

“I know…but…” Dora bit her lip and looked down at her hands.

Atticus dropped his cheerful demeanor and took Dora's hands. “I hate it too but this defense is not illegal. Really bad men use it all the time," he said softly. "And if a really bad man can use it to stay out of Azkaban for murder than I will be damned if I am not going to use to save a good one that was foolish enough to think he could care for a dragon. If we do this by the book, Hagrid will go to Azkaban, and Charlie’s brother will never ask for help from an adult again.” The attorney said with a conviction that made Charlie’s breath hitch. 

Atticus sighed and squeezed Tonks's hands. “Somethings are gray, Dora. If the law treated everyone equally, I would be right with you. I know you value your position and if you need to leave I understand. I can walk Charlie through what has to be done.”

Tonks looked up at Atticus. “I became an Auror to do right by people. What do you need me to do?”

“You just need to drop the paperwork off at the Ministry. That is if this course of action is alright with Charlie?” Atticus said with a broad smile causing Charlie’s heart to flutter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FYI, Atti is exceptionally oblivious and probably won't catch on for a few chapters. At the moment, he sees Charlie as someone to help because he's a decent bloke and Dora's friend. Charlie, on the other hand, is seriously crushing. 
> 
> Thank you for reading.


	3. If you give a ginger help with his dragon…

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie tries to rescue a dragon and in turn, is rescued by the Scamanders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After reviewing my bank statement, I can say truthfully that I do not own Harry Potter.

Atti didn’t know why he stationed himself on the roof of a barn just outside of Hogsmeade. The barrister sighed, _That isn’t exactly true_ , he mentally scolded. He was worried. Worried about the dragon. Worried about the handlers. And most importantly, worried about Charlie Weasley. _Dora had entrusted Charlie to my care. I am not going to have the wizard fall to his death on my watch._ He thought as he poured more tea from his thermos and pulled out a book.

Around midnight there was a loud bang and flash of dragon’s fire over the treeline. Atti jumped to his feet and apparated near the spot where the flare went up. The brooms and their riders were scattered on the forest floor. He ran to the first handler and pulled off his protective helmet, the wizard was in his late twenties with dark hair. The man muttered a string of curses in Russian and motioned to his leg.

Atti winced as he looked down to see a compound fracture. “Stay here.” The barrister said slowly and pointed at the ground. “Ostan'sya toot”. The man groaned and slowly nodded. 

The blonde wizard ran to the other wrangler and cursed under his breath. “Damn it, Charlie.” He had a head wound from where he hit a tree on the way down. He had not been wearing a helmet otherwise he wouldn’t have had any damage. Atti took the young wizard’s pulse. “Well, at least you are alive so we know Dora isn’t going to have to kill us both.”

\---------------------------------------------

Charlie Weasley shifted on the bed as a hand gently shook his shoulder. He burrowed deeper under the covers and pillows in an attempt to escape. Everything hurt and the last thing he wanted to do was start moving around. Maybe his Mum would take pity on him and let him sleep a little bit longer. 

The hand was back on his shoulder and this time was accompanied by a woman’s voice. “Good Morning, Mr. Weasley. Up and at them.” Her accent was American, and there was a kind yet firm quality to her tone. He opened his eyes to see a tall woman with dark hair threaded with silver smiling at him.

He opened his mouth to speak was unsure what to say. 

She chuckled. “Not to worry, you are with friends. You are at the Scamander Manor in Dorset. Atti brought you and your friend here after you took a tumble off your brooms with that dragon.”

Charlie sat up, “What?!"

“Don’t you remember?” The older witch asked. “You took quite the fall. I'm surprised there wasn’t more damage.”

The young Weasley did his best to remember. They left the Astronomy Tower with the dragon. They flew around Hogsmeade and then the iron box…”Shit!” Charlie swore. “The box didn’t hold out did it?”

Mrs. Scamander chuckled. “I’m afraid the melting point for iron isn’t high enough to hold Hungarian Horntails, even with fortifying spells. I’m surprised you made it as far as you did.”

Charlie cringed at the thought of what might have happened. “And the dragon? How is he?”

The elderly witch smiled at him. “She is fine. Newt is keeping her warm in the hearth in the kitchen, and Atti is hunting up the correct type of container to transport her back to Romania. Though, my husband might have a few ideas on that front as well.”

“Your husband?” Charlie asked feebly as the reality of where he was struck him. “Your husband, Newt? As in Newt Scamander? The Newt Scamander?”

“I don’t know about ‘the,’ I am definitely a Newt Scamander.” A man’s voice sounded from the corridor. “Is it alright if I come in?

Atti’s Mum smirked. “It depends, who is watching the dragon? I don’t want to have the kitchen remodeled again.”

The man laughed on the other side of the door. “Ivan, I believe. He seems a capable sort.” The door opened to reveal an elderly man with silvery white hair and bright blue eyes. His eyes sparkled as he smiled at the woman. “There you are, Tina. I’ve missed you.” He crossed the room and kissed her forehead. “Why don’t you go downstairs and make some cocoa? You’ve been up here since before dawn, and it is nearly sunset. I’ll get our guest sorted out and bring him down in a few minutes.”

Mrs. Scamander looked skeptically at her husband, and the two exchanged a knowing look before she nodded. “That is an excellent idea, sweetheart. I will see you both downstairs shortly.” She inclined her head towards Charlie before shutting the door. “Mr. Weasley.”

Charlie nervously stared at his childhood idol as the older man was counting under his breath. When he had reached twenty, he took out his wand and cast a silencing spell on the room. Mr. Scamander turned to the ginger wizard and pointed his wand at him. “What in Merlin’s name did you think you were doing?” He pulled the wand away. He began pacing the room and muttering to himself. “Atti said you had a good head on your shoulders, but I highly doubt it based on the fact that you used an iron container to transport a Hungarian Horntail. You could have used a cage made of licorice wands and gotten the same result.” 

“We didn’t put the dragon in the box…” Charlie began, and Newt looked up at him with a glare that could have cut diamonds

“Who exactly put that dragon in that box?” Newt asked with a hard edge to his voice.

Charlie wanted the ground open up and swallow him. “I’m not sure.” Newt’s eyebrows shot up, and the young wizard would have laughed if he wasn’t terrified. “You see, my brother was bitten by it and Hagrid had…” 

Newt began pacing again. “Hagrid? Rubeus Hagrid? The groundskeeper at Hogwarts? The one who had the clever idea of introducing Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest?” He threw his hands up and picked up his pace.

“Maybe? I’m not sure. It could have been my brother’s friends. They are in second..” Charlie stopped mid-sentence as he saw the shade of red Mr. Scamander was turning.

“47,” Newt muttered to himself as he ran his hand over his face.

There was a quick knock on the door before it opened to Charlie’s relief. Atti stepped into the room. “Mum had Ivan floo back to the Dragon Sanctuary. She said he wasn’t tending the dragon very well and told him to read up on his Stoic primer on solitary dragons.” He paused for a moment and looked between Charlie and Newt. “Everything alright, Dad?”

Newt, on the other hand, was radiating anger. “47, Atti. There are 47 Hungarian Horntails left in the world, and he is leaving their transport up to 12 year-olds.” He spat shoving his finger in Charlie’s direction.

Charlie had gone a shade paler. He stared at the men in complete and utter horror. He opened and closed his mouth but couldn’t think of what to say. The magizoologist was right, there were only 47 in the world, and he had almost killed one. His negligence had almost killed a dragon.

“48, Dad,” Atti said calmly. “There are now 48 in the world and Mum is carefully tending the newest addition on the hearth.” He glanced over at the wizard before turning back to his father. “Charlie is young, don’t tell me you didn’t do stupid things with creatures when you were young. I know Mum will attest you not being the most careful up into your thirties and Charlie here is only 20. 

Charlie gave Atti a grateful smile. The barrister smiled in return, and Charlie thought his heart would burst from happiness.

“I know but…” Newt started but seemed to think better of it. “My apologies, Mr. Weasley.” Newt gave Charlie a curt nod and walked out of the room.

“Gods! He hates me. My hero hates me. I almost killed a dragon and my hero hates me because I am a dragon killer.” Charlie looked crestfallen.

“He doesn’t hate you,” Atti said reassuringly. “He’s just upset that a creature was put in danger.”

“Are you sure?” The younger wizard asked timidly. 

Atti patted Charlie’s shoulder. “He’ll get over it. ” The barrister chuckled. “Dad isn’t one to hold grudges.” He held his hand out to the dragon keeper. “Come on, we’ll get Mum on our side, and this will clear up quickly.

 ---------------------------------------------------------

Charlie and Atti entered the kitchen, which held a fireplace larger than Charlie’s childhood bedroom. In the center, a crude open ceramic oven held the dragon, who was happily settled among the flames. It’s head shot up as Tina threw the creature a large garden rat. The barrister smiled as he saw the awe in the young dragon keeper’s eyes. Tina simply shrugged and smiled as she went to the large sink to scrub her hands.

Atti followed her and rocked back on his heels. “Need any help, Mum?” 

“I think I have everything under control, sweetheart. Dinner is in the warmer, I just need to go upstairs and change. I made Yorkshire pudding with a roasted veggie quiche filling if you and your friend would like to stay.” He stopped fidgeting as Tina kissed him on the temple. “It’s good to have you home, Atti.”

“Sounds wonderful,” Atti said and kissed his mother’s cheek. It had been a few months, and he has forgotten how much he missed being home. “Charlie, would you like to stay?”

The younger wizard nodded dumbly and turned his attention back to the dragon.

Atti turned to his mother, who was drying her hands. “Could you possibly have a word with Dad? He was a bit cross with Charlie.”

“I’ll go smooth it over,” Tina replied with a shake of her head and an indulgent smile.

The next morning, Atti was relieved to find his father happily chatting with Charlie over tea. The magizoologist had forgiven the young dragon handler with the caveat that Charlie write and visit for training sessions on the proper care of dragons. Charlie was over the moon with this stipulation. Atti did his best not to notice that his mother was having a lie in and his father was whistling far more than usual. The barrister also did his best not to notice how much the room seemed to light up when Charlie smiled. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Vegetarian Scamanders, who'd have thought? 
> 
> Thank you for reading.


	4. If you give a ginger a drink...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie and his new boyfriend walk into a bar...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JK Rowling owns all the things...except Atti and my collection of werewolves. 
> 
> Trigger Warning: Domestic violence situations. If this is a trigger for you, you might want to skip to chapter six. 
> 
> Extra cookies for those of you that can figure out the werewolves.

December 21, 1992  
Romania

It was a week to Christmas, when Charlie and his boyfriend, Ivan, walked into the Dragon’s Claw Pub in Timisoara, Romania. Ivan and Charlie had bonded over their adventure retrieving Norberta and began dating over the summer. They had recently gotten up the nerve to call each other boyfriend, a term that didn’t feel quite right to Charlie.

He liked Ivan, but he didn’t know if he loved the Russian wizard. They had loads in common but he felt as if he were missing something. Not to mention that the other Dragon Handler tended to be on the jealous side. They had gotten into a couple of fistfights over who was in charge of the relationship. It worried the English wizard, but Ivan was handsome and good company. Charlie was lonely and enjoyed having someone around to share his days with. Anyway, if things got out of hand every once and a while…it just showed that the Russian was passionate.            

They were there to meet up with Atticus and two of the barrister’s friends. Since the start of the summer, Charlie had been writing to both Newt and Atticus Scamander. Keeping his word, he had written and visited the elder Scamander several times. After proving his worth by caring for an ailing Welsh Green, he had won the approval the venerable magizoologist and had been practically adopted by Mrs. Scamander. Quite the feat, at least according to Atti.

His letters to the British Barrister were different. Though he still harbored a slight crush on Atticus, the man proved to be a loyal and true friend. He lent him an ear as Charlie worked through his feelings for Ivan and his worries about being discovered by his family. Often he found himself laughing out loud at the older wizard’s tales and was comforted by the knowledge that he was not alone in his new identity.

Glancing around the bar, Ivan huffed and blew some stray black hairs out of his eyes. “What does this man look like?” He snarled. 

Ivan hadn’t been happy when Charlie announced he was meeting a friend at the Dragon’s Claw. The ginger wizard was able to calm him by inviting him along, but the Russian wizard had been surly since the announcement.

“You met him before, remember?” Scanning the pub’s occupants, Charlie saw no one that resembled the blonde wizard. “He healed your leg after the incident with Norberta last summer. I don’t see him. Maybe we should find a table and get a drink?” He said with a hopeful smile.

Ivan gave him a curt nod and headed for a table by the door as Charlie went to get drinks at the bar. He returned to his boyfriend with drinks a short time later. Taking a seat, he watched the few patrons and noticed no new faces. After the couple’s second round, two rugged and handsome Aurors in the robes of the Bulgarian and Romanian Magical Law Enforcement Offices strode into the room and made a beeline to the bar. Several patrons patted them on the back and wished them good evening as they flirted and laughed with the bar matron.

Moments later, Charlie’s attention was drawn to a short wizard dressed as Father Christmas, complete with false snowy white beard and satchel of presents. Smiling impishly he burst into song. “Vesela Koleda and Lichtigin Chanukah! All the good children sing, hoping for the presents and the sweets that old shamans bring. Happy Christmas and Glad Chanukah may your season be filled with light! For all good children know that the bird might devour the sun on a winter’s night.”

Aurors at the bar stood up and applauded the small wizard. An action that was soon followed by the entire pub save for Ivan.

“Glad Chanukah and Blessed Solstice!” The younger of the two men announced raising his glass. The older Auror turned back towards the barmaid and ordered a round of drinks for the house.

Charlie smiled as Father Christmas walked through the room giving patrons small packages of sweets. The jolly elf stopped at Charlie and Ivan’s table and beamed. “So young man, has Mr. Weasley been naughty or nice this year?” He asked the Russian.

The young English wizard almost fell out of his chair as he realized Father Christmas was a familiar Scamander. Charlie embraced Father Christmas. “It has been too long, Atti!”

“That it has, my friend.” Atticus returned the hug and laughed causing Charlie to smile wider. The pair turned towards Ivan who was scowling at them. The barrister smiled at the man and extended his hand in greeting. “So you’re Charlie’s young man? My, you can pick the handsome ones, can’t you, Mr. Weasley?” He said with a wink causing Charlie’s Russian boyfriend to relax a little and puff out his chest. “I hope your leg is fairing better than the last time I saw you, Ivan.”

“My leg is much better, thank you. It is good to see you again, Mr. Scamander.” Ivan replied with a curt nod.

“You as well,” Atti said with a wide smile before motioning towards the Aurors now seated at a table for five across the pub. “Come on, let’s go sit with our soon to be new friends.”

Ivan and Charlie shifted nervously. “You don’t know them?” Ivan asked suspiciously eying the Aurors. One the men seemed to feel the eyes on him and lifted his glass in greeting.

Atticus smiled brightly. “It’s alright. They are good friends of my cousins. Any friend of Bear and Trixie is a friend of mine. They are exquisite judges of character.” He said leaning in conspiratorially before leading them across the room.

The older and larger of the two Aurors stood causing Charlie and Ivan to take a step back. His long thick black hair and beard was loose save for a few plaits, and he was a bear of a man with a barrel chest and thick arms. He stood a good head taller than Ivan, who was a head taller than Charlie. The tall wizard smiled warmly at the new arrivals, flashing slightly elongated incisors. The Auror extended his hand to Atticus. “You must be the infamous Cousin Atti, I have heard so much about. Ymeh and Mechka have spoken highly of you but I did not expect a snowy beard on one so young.” Atticus laughed and took the man’s hand. The smaller wizard was quickly pulled into a hug, despite the other wizard’s size it was gentle as if he were hugging a child.

Charlie did his best not to glare at the wizards’ embrace. He told himself he was standing taller and leaning forward to seem more dominant out of respect. After all these men were powerful, he ignored the niggling voice at the back of his mind that said _get your paws off my Atti_.

The Auror stepped back and chuckled. “Where are my manners? I am Commander Dimitar Krum of Ilarion Gavrail.” He pointed to his comrade. “And this young pup is the newly minted Captian Ivaylo Iskra, the youngest leader of the Romanian Aurors in over 500 years.”

The younger Auror was blushing slightly but stood and extended his hand to Atti. “My foster father exaggerates. I would not be where I am without his tutelage.”

Commander Krum chuckled and batted the air as if pushing away the compliment. “This one is far too modest.” He said wrapping an arm around the young wizard like a proud father. The younger wizard had long strawberry blonde hair, worn in a similar style to the Commander's. He sported a shortly trimmed beard. The Captain had a lithe but muscled build and stood shoulder to shoulder with the older Auror.

“Well met, gentlemen. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Atti vanished his false beard and beamed at the men. “I am Atticus Scamander, although from your introduction you probably know far more about me from Bear and Trixie than is probably safe.” He said with a sheepish grin earning a great belly laugh from the larger Auror. “These are Charlie Weasley and Ivan…” Atticus turned to Ivan. “I apologize, my friend, what is your last name?”

Ivan eyed the two Aurors and possessively placed an arm around Charlie, “Rasputin.”

The corner of Atticus’s mouth twitched, but he politely continued. “Yes, please let me introduce, Charlie Weasley and Ivan Rasputin. They both work at the dragon reserve about 20 miles from here.”

Charlie thought he saw the two Aurors exchange a meaningful look but it was so quick he questioned seeing it. Ivaylo smiled a little too brightly and gestured to the open chairs. “That is my new…what does Mechka call it…” He snapped his fingers as the word came to him. “Beat! That is my new beat as our American brothers and sisters would say.”

The dragon keepers followed Atti in taking a seat. Ivan wrapped his arm tightly around Charlie, who fought the urge to shrug off Russian’s arm and move his chair closer to others so he could hear better.

As the evening wore on, the conversation was light but entertaining. Ivaylo and Dimitar traded stories with Atticus about his American cousins, Bear and Trixie or as Dimitar called them, Mechka and Ymeh. The beer was good and plentiful, although stronger than what Charlie normally had. A little before midnight, he and Ivan were close to being knackered.

As the bell on Atticus’s watch chimed midnight, the barrister looked up at the door and smiled before turning to the young Auror at his side. “I almost forgot, Captain Iskra. I have a Hanukkah present for you. We may not have a menorah, but this should light up your night.” His gaze turned back to the door and Charlie couldn’t help but watch as the door opened to reveal a handsome young witch with dark hair and eyes dressed in a royal purple velvet cloak and lavender dress robes.

“Teodora!” The fair Auror exclaimed as he almost knocked over the table in his haste to greet the young woman. The younger wizard’s fumbling caused both Atti and Dimitar to erupt in gales of joyous laughter.

Charlie watched as Ivaylo scooped the woman up and spun her around causing her to giggle as she peppered his face with kisses. Charlie turned to look at Atti, who was beaming fondly at the couple. He was struck at how young the man looked when he smiled.

The second oldest Weasley’s attention was pulled away from the happy scene as Ivan shifted next to him. The Russian Wizard looked suddenly uncomfortable. He leaned forward and whispered roughly into Charlie’s ear. “We should go, we have spent too much time here already.”

“Can we stay just a little bit longer?” Charlie asked with a warm smile. “I would like to meet Ivaylo’s friend.”

“No, we need to go now. Look at his ears, his teeth, and the scars. Ivaylo is a bodark.” The Russian hissed and spat on the ground.

The English wizard pulled away. The Russian used the word bodark, whatever it meant like a Malfoy would use mudblood. “Then go home without me, I want to stay a little longer.” He hissed, and Ivan kicked the chair from under him.

Charlie hit the ground hard causing Dimitar to jump to his feet and the entire pub to stare at the young men. Ivan snorted with nervous laughter as he gazed up at the Commander. “You have to excuse my friend, he is …. How you say… careless when he drinks. 

“I’m fine,” Charlie replied and pushed Ivan away. Ivan scowled at him stepped closer. The ginger wizard winced as Ivan raised his fist.

There was the scrapping of a chair on the wooden floor and a loud clap. Charlie looked up to see Dimitar holding Ivan off the floor by Russian wizard’s wrist. “I think you have outstayed your capacity for fine Romanian ale.” The Auror said in an eerily calm tone that was so low and gravelly that one could mistake it for a growl. The man set Ivan down and smiled warmly as he patted him on the back. “You should go home and sleep it off before I do something you will regret.”

The Russian stormed out of the pub narrowly missing the young couple by the door. The Romanian Auror deftly lifted his paramour and side stepped the hostile wizard. The bar slowly came back to life after the door slammed shut.

Charlie gave an awkward smile to the group of wizards. “I should go after him.” He said as he gave a small bow. “It was a pleasure meeting all of you.”

“You can stay longer if you like.” Atti gave the younger wizard a worried look and held out three packages to the dragon handler. “These are for you, Ivan, and your family.”

Charlie smiled and shook his head. “I better get going.” He stared at the presents for a moment before standing up. “Thank you for these.” He gathered the boxes in his arms and looked longingly at the Barrister before remembering his boyfriend was waiting outside.

“Of course, you are always welcome… If you ever need…” Atticus seemed to stop himself from finishing the thought. He nodded towards the door. “You better bundle up, it’s cold out there tonight.” He said with a tight smile. “Happy Christmas, Charlie.”

“Happy Chanukah, Atticus.” The dragon handler replied sadly. It was all Charlie could do to walk towards the door.

As he reached for the handle, Ivaylo pushed a card into his hand. “If you ever need help, please don’t hesitate to call.” The man whispered as he held the door for the dragon handler.

Charlie nodded his thanks as he walked into the cold. His heart constricted as he heard the door to the pub close behind him cutting him off from the warmth and light it held inside.

* * *

Atti sat in Dimitar’s kitchen sipping on hot cocoa and watching as Dimitar’s niece fussed over her fiancée and younger brothers. Though the atmosphere of the room was inviting and quite merry, he couldn’t help but sigh. He had high expectations for the night. His cousin, Trixie, had arranged for Dimitar’s niece, Teodora, to arrive as a holiday surprise. The girl had been apprenticing with Trixie for over a year and was well on her way to becoming a gifted professor. He was excited to meet the Aurors that Trixie had raved about in her letters.

The barrister swirled the cocoa around in his mug. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was also quite excited to see Charlie. He had not expected Ivan and felt his stomach knot as he thought about the lout. Charlie Weasley was a good man and deserved better than that piece of dragon dung.

“If you keep frowning like that you will get wrinkles.” Dimitar teased topping off Atti’s drink. “You are worried about your friend, no?”

“I remember making similar mistakes at his age.” Atti sighed and stared at his drink. The Auror snorted and gave him a pointed look. Atti held his hands up in surrender. “Fine! Yes, I am concerned about him. I have a bad feeling about his boyfriend.”

“Is that because he is a schmuck or because he took your sweetheart?” Dimitar said with a wink.

Atticus straightened in his seat and pouted. “I do not have a sweetheart.”

Ivaylo joined them at the table. “Don’t give the man such a hard time, Dimi. You know those types are trouble.”

The barrister opened his mouth to lecture the younger wizard on equal rights when Dimitar clapped his shoulder. “Wawkalak…Wolves, remember? It does not matter to us, who you chose.” He said with a shrug before biting into one of the holiday biscuits Trixie had sent. “No, the problem is people like Comrade Rasputin. I have witnessed too many disputes caused by a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a partner, spouse … some hothead that thinks they own and control their mate.” He shook his head and frowned. “I have escorted too many to the hospital or morgue because they believe love is shown through jealousy and mistake aggression and possession as passion and devotion.” He took a long sip of his cocoa that had been lightly spiked with peppermint schnapps. “Wolves are much better, wouldn’t you agree, Teodora?” He said with a mischievous grin lightening the mood.

The girl giggled and blushed prettily. “I wouldn’t know, Ivaylo is my heart.” She replied causing the young Captain to turn red and grin from ear to ear.

Dimitar chuckled at the exchange, and both of the older wizards watched as Ivaylo rose from the table and kissed Teodora’s hand.

“Thank you for bringing her home,” Dimitar whispered admiring the couple.

Atticus smiled as well. His heart was warmed by the love between the pair. “You have Trixie to thank for most of that. I only set things up so she could walk in tonight and meet you at the Dragon’s Claw.” He turned to Dimitar. “Trixie sends her regards, along with the biscuits and the presents.” Atticus indicated his discarded sack of presents by the door. “She told me to tell you that Sybil has asked after you.” Atticus noticed the tips of the Aurors ears go red as he nonchalantly swirled his drink and averted his eyes.

Across the room, Teodora let out a very unladylike cackle causing the pair of wizards to look in her direction. Ivaylo had her pinned to the wall where he was whispering something in her ear. Atticus chuckled at the distraction. “She also told me to tell you that the last semester of Teodora’s apprenticeship can be done at a distance should the need arise.”

“My niece may need to take her up on that offer,” Dimitar said in a faux resigned voice as he stood. “Viktor and Vasal, please escort your sister home. Ivaylo, you can talk to Teodora in the morning after a long bath in the river.” The pointed words caused the couple to quickly break apart much to the amusement of Teodora’s younger brothers.

After Teodora and her brothers said their goodbyes, Dimitar, Ivaylo, and Atticus starting drinking something a little stronger.

The conversation lagged as each man caught up on their thoughts. The silence was broken by Dimitar, “So how long were you with Charlie?”

Atticus choked on his drink. “Charlie and I….we’re not…we have never.” The wizard shook his head at the thought. “I am far too old for him. He has his whole life ahead of him.”

“I have seen larger age differences,” Dimitar said conversationally. “Do you fancy him?”

Atticus colored slightly. “He’s too young and dating what’s-his-name.” He took a long drink. “I gave up on love a long time ago.”

 The werewolf looked sad for a moment. “So who broke your heart?”

The barrister chuckled. “No one, I just never found the one. I always wanted what my parents had, and that just wasn’t in the cards for me.”

“Are you sure you are not a werewolf?” Dimitar chuckled. “You sound a little too much like Trixie…or me.”

Ivaylo raised an eyebrow at the older Auror. “That only is because you think Mrs. Wiesel’s sister is too good for you.”

“Sybil Brannsikker is too good for an old wolf like me,” Dimitar said with a huff causing Ivaylo to roll his eyes.

“I know, Sybil. She’s quite nice. My father is rather interested in her conservation programs. ” Atticus shook his head, he had forgotten how much he liked proper werewolves. It had been over a year since he last saw Trixie and the werewolves of London were not the type you invited to tea.

“Dimi thinks she’s more than nice.” The young Auror teased. “Your Trixie introduced them in May. They have coffee every weekend and exchange letters almost daily.”

“We are just friends.” The other werewolf replied color tinting his cheeks before changing the subject. “When is the last time you saw Trixie?”

“I don’t know, a year…a year and a half ago.” Atticus said as he did his best to keep his focus on his drink.

Dimitar refilled their glasses. “You should spend time with her. Take a holiday and have some fun.”

“She’s not my type,” Atti replied draining his glass. The Auror leaned forward and softly kissed his cheek. The barrister smiled and gently touched the spot where the werewolf’s lips had brushed. “Anything?”

The other wizard shook his head. “No, but you would have been an excellent catch.”

“Thank you,” Atti replied raising his glass. “Right back at you, handsome.”

Dimitar smiled at the compliment before raising his glass in reply. “Go spend time with your cousin, she will be good for you.”

* * *

January 2, 1993  
Romanian Dragon Reserve Owlery

 

“Who is this man? Tonks? Why is he writing you so much?” Ivan snapped turning an envelope over in his hands.

Charlie rolled his eyes. “Her name is Dora, and we have been friends since we were eleven. Trust me. If there were anything there, my mum would have seen us married already.”

“Really? So you don’t have feelings for this Tonks? Like you don’t have feelings for Atti?” The Russian snapped. “I saw how you looked at him. Those were not the looks of a friend.”

Charlie flinched as Ivan snatched the postcard from his hand. The man had been on about Atti since the night at the pub two weeks before. He had even destroyed the presents Atti had sent him home with.

“What is this? A love letter from your barrister.” The Russian demanded, reading the note from Atticus.

 _Mele Kalikimaka! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from_ _Kauaʻi.  
Atticus  & Trixie_

Ivan began ripping the postcard. “You should not flaunt your lovers in front of me.”

Something in Charlie snapped, he remembered Atticus’s story about Trixie posing as his fiancée. He grabbed the card back and turned it over showing the picture of a beautiful brunette in sunglasses and an old-fashioned bikini kissing Atticus’s cheek under a waterfall. The wizard was topless in a pair of loud short trousers. Charlie tried not to look at how happy and handsome he looked.

“It’s a picture of Atticus and his fiancee.” Charlie blurted out, surprised at how easily the lie came and how much he hated saying it.

Ivan visibly relaxed. “May I?” He studied the postcard for a moment. “They are a very handsome couple. I can see why he is such a happy man.” He said in a soft voice. A meek smile graced his lips.

Charlie felt his heart clench but continued smiling and nodded. Ivan wrapped his arms around him. “I am sorry, Charlie. I do not know what comes over me. I just get so jealous sometimes. I love you so much.” He traced the ginger wizard’s face with gentle strokes. “You are so beautiful. I cannot bear to think of what it would be like to lose you.” Ivan kissed him roughly. “Let’s go home, I want to show you what you mean to me.” 

Charlie smiled and nodded. _Ivan thought he was handsome and worth loving._ _That was worth this._ His smile faltered for a moment. _Wasn’t it?_ He thought as he walked hand-in-hand with the Russian back to Charlie’s flat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Vesela Koleda and Lichtigin Chanukah - Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah  
> Mechka - Bear  
> Ymeh - Clever or Cunning  
> Bodark - Russian for a type of feral (bad) werewolf  
> Brannsikker - Norweign for fireproof  
> Wawkalak - Russian for a type of helpful/friendly werewolf 
> 
> Relation/Connection info:  
> Dimitar Krum is Viktor Krum's paternal uncle. Viktor Krum (in this story) has two older siblings, Teodora and Vasal. 
> 
> The next chapter should be up within the next 24 hours and then there will be a break as I work on Family is Everything and Werewolves Are the Worse. Sorry for the longer than average lag times between updates. 
> 
> If you are in an abusive relationship please seek help when you are ready. If you need assistance finding help, please feel free to PM me on tumblr. I am at dharmageek and I would be happy to send you resources and options. Domestic and dating violence can happen in any relationship regardless of the genders, sexualities, or orientations of the people involved. 
> 
> Thank you for reading.


	5. If you give a ginger a shoulder to cry on...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie gets by with a little help from his friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JK Rowling created the Harry Potter Universe. Either that or we are simply actors in the dream of one of Aberforth's goats. Either way, I do not own Harry Potter or original characters created by Aberforth's goat...I mean JK Rowling. 
> 
> Sybil Brannsikker is an homage to Sybil Ramkin from Discworld. In other words, I stole her and am running for my life because I am pretty sure Sam Vimes might prod my buttocks. (You should be reading Discworld because it is far better written than this...really) 
> 
> Repeat of the last chapter's warning: Domestic violence situations. If this is a trigger for you, you might want to skip to chapter six. 
> 
> Secondary warning: If you are triggered by fluff and the stunted expression of emotion by British Wizards, you might want to stop reading from this point out. It is only going to get worse.

March 19, 1993  
Charlie’s Flat near the Romanian Dragon Reserve

 

Charlie twitched on the floor as the boot made contact with his stomach again. He did his best to curl into a tighter ball but after two rounds of Crucio his muscle control was failing.

“Why am I not enough for you, Charlie?” Ivan spat. His face had gone a purply red color and he foamed at the corners of his mouth. “Answer me!” He raised his wand sending what felt like a bolt of lightening through the prone wizard.

The ginger wizard counted his breath and focused on the muffled sound of boots on the stairs outside. He had to just wait Ivan out but the world seemed to be fading in and out.

There was a loud pounding the door. “Go away!” Ivan screamed.

Charlie heard the door being kicked down by a sturdy pair of Doc Martens and a female voice call out. “Oi! Wanker!”

* * *

 

March 20, 1993  
Scamander Residence  
Dorset, England

 

Atticus couldn’t help but chuckle at how giddy his father was acting. The elder wizard hadn’t been able to sit still all morning.

“You’d think it was him, who was offered the summer internship.” Tina said with a wry smile as she sipped her morning coffee.

“This is a very important accomplishment.” Newt said sulkily. “It is not everyday one’s grandson is chosen for one of three spots in the best dragon conservation program in the world.” He held up three fingers. “One of the top three, out of hundreds of applicants… some of them five times his age with years of experience with magical creatures.” 

“Well, it probably didn’t hurt that his Grandfather is Newt Scamander or that he is distantly connected to the director of the program.” Atti said with a smirk.

“Don’t you dare start, Atticus!” The older wizard tutted. “The selection was blind and Sybil Brannsikker had nothing to do the process. In fact, according to Rhea she stepped down as director in January.”

“Really?” Atticus replied slightly surprised that the iconoclast had given up her life’s work.

“Yes, really. Our Rolf is simply brilliant.” Newt huffed as he unfolded the paper and pretended to read it.

Tina smirked at her son as she stirred her coffee before turning to her husband. “Newt, sweetheart. 

Newt aggressively turned the page. “Yes, Tina, love.”

“The prophet is upside down, that angle only works with the Quibbler.” His wife responded with a patience that only comes after a half-century of marriage. The man lowered the paper and pouted as he fiddled with his silverware.

Tina beamed at her husband. “It is 7 AM in New York and Rolf is an early riser. Why don’t you go floo your grandson and tell him how proud you are of him?”

“That is an excellent idea!” Newt replied almost jumping out of his chair. He stopped next to his wife long enough to kiss her temple before rushing out of the room.

Tina waited until he was well out of the room before she started chuckling. “He is so proud of his little magizoologist.” She patted Atticus’s hand. “So how is my favorite barrister?”

“More of a counselor these days, most things are settled long before the Wizenmount get involved.” Atticus smiled at his mother.

“Well then counselor, you can help me settle the dishes,” Tina said with a twinkle in her eye.

When Atticus returned home after brunch with his parents, there were three very impatient owls waiting for him, one of which was holding a howler.

 

* * *

 

 Charlie and Tonks were sitting in the Timisoara Auror Office. They had been there since the Aurors were called in after Tonks burst through the front door around midnight. This was after Charlie had never replied to her owls after he missed their meeting at ten. They hadn’t been arrested per say but were in what Tonks called ‘protective custody’ until Atticus could come fetch them.”

The pinked haired Auror trainee was an instant hit with her Romanian Counterparts and was currently chatting with a grizzled veteran that made Mad-Eye look like the winner of Witch Weekly’s Woo Worthly Wizard of the Year.

Charlie was sitting at an empty desk with a blanket draped around him staring blankly at the cup of coffee in his hands. It had never been so bad before, Ivan could be possessive but this was verging on insanity. He had treated Charlie like he was his property. _Was this how all wizards were?_ He thought and contemplated why despite being beautiful and vivacious Tonks didn’t date much.

He was pulled from his thoughts as a chair slid next to him. Charlie saw Captain Iskra sit down on the other side of the desk. “How are the tremors?” He asked looking at the English wizard with great concern.

Charlie shrugged. “There are fewer of them.”

The Captain nodded. “That is good, they should fully stop in a few days. If you are want to file charges…” 

Charlie shook his head adamantly. “I can’t do that, I mean everyone would know. I might loose my job.”

The young Auror nodded. “I understand.” He rose from the chair to speak with Tonks. 

An hour later, Atticus rushed into the Auror office accompanied by Commander Krum, who was dressed in a pair of muggle slacks, dress shirt, and cardigan. Charlie watched as the three wizards spoke quietly amongst themselves and Atticus handed the Captain some papers. The Romanian Auror rushed over to Tonks, shook her hand, and whispered something to her.

The metamorphmagus made her way over to Charlie. “Come on, mate, we need to make ourselves scarce.” Tonks said gently as she nodded over to Atticus. Her lip was split and her left eye was blackened from where Ivan had attempted to remove her from the apartment by physical force after she disarmed him. She wore them like a badge of honor, especially since Ivan was currently under guard at the hospital.

Charlie stood up shakily. He felt an arm wrap around him for support and looked up to see Commander Krum standing beside him. “Quickly, young man. We need to get your friend out of here.”

There was a popping noise and Charlie found himself falling towards a lawn as another set of tremors hit him. Before he hit the ground, a pair of strong yet thin arms wrapped around. His face was pressed against someone’s chest and he couldn’t help but inhale the scent of parchment, ink, dragon’s blood soap, white sage and honey.

“Come on, Charlie. I’m not strong enough to hold you up forever, we’ve got to be a team on this.”Atti said with a chuckle as he scrambled to keep the larger man upright.

Using Atti as a crutch, Charlie made it back to his feet. Looking down, he was surprised to see that he was still holding on to the smaller wizard. There was distance between them now, but part of him really wanted to close it. He looked down at the older man’s lips wistfully.

Charlie was pulled from his thoughts as Dora slung one of his arms over her shoulder. Atti took up the other arm and the pair marched him into the manor house they had apprirated to. Commander Krum strode in front of them opening the front door. 

“Atti, you and Charlie can floo directly to your house from the parlor.” He motioned his head towards a room on the left. “It is best if you get going now. Ivaylo is going to speak with that moshigi Rasputin but it is better if you are not in the country just in case.” He looked towards Dora and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Ms. Tonks, Ivaylo said you are working with Alastor Moody. Is this correct?”

“Yes, I finish my training in May. Why?” Dora replied, looking perplexed.

“Good.” He seemed to let go of a breath he was holding. “Because if anyone asks you have been spending the day with me at his request. We need a reason why you might be here.” Charlie winced at the words, he knew he was not being judged but the unspoken part of the sentence was because he wasn’t pressing charges.

Tonks’s eyes got big for a moment as realization dawned on her and she nodded slowly. “Of course, Commander.”

“No, not Commander, I am…” He seemed to search for the word, “retired.”

Charlie watched as Atticus opened his mouth to say something and was silenced by a look from Dimitar. “You have to go now, my friend. We will visit you in week, maybe two on the outside.” The former Auror then turned to Charlie. “Take care of yourself, young man. Stay away from here for three - four weeks. Get rest and heal.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

March 25, 1993  
Atticus Scamander’s House

Atti walked into his home fumbling with the hamper his mother had dropped off at his office. “Charlie, I’m home!” The wizard called into the house as closed the door behind him.

“In here,” the dragon handler replied from the kitchen.

Atticus walked into the kitchen to see Charlie pouring hot water into the teapot. “I thought tea would be nice.” The ginger wizard said with a sheepish smile. 

“A splendid idea,” Atticus replied and held up the hamper. “Mum sent over provisions. Said that she didn’t want her favorite bachelors to starve.”

Charlie chuckled. “How was you day?”

Atticus set the hamper on the kitchen table with a slight frown. “Long, I’m afraid. The brief for MACUSA isn’t going well.” Atticus sniffed the air. “Which tea did you use?”

“Something your Dad left, he said it was good for winding down in the evening.” Charlie replied not meeting the barrister’s eyes.

Atticus bit back a sigh. The young wizard was healing physically but mentally he was skittish and withdrawn. The older wizard forced a smile. “Glad, Dad was able to stop by. Mum said he’s been a bit of a homebody this winter, hopefully, the spring makes him a bit more social.”

Charlie nodded and poured the tea. He had taken the Pukwudgie mug that Trixie had given Atticus at Solistice to complete his Ilvermorny set. The saying on the cup flashed ‘Be Brave, Be Pukwudgie’. It had been Charlie’s go to since he arrived almost a week ago. Atticus couldn’t help but smile at the fact that Charlie had been drawn to the house of healers.

The pair sat in companionable silence and sipped their tea. Atticus knew Charlie needed his space right now to process what had happened so he did his best not to push. 

The ginger wizard swirled the last of the tea in his mug. “Your Dad really loves your Mum, doesn’t he?” He whispered so quietly that had Atticus not been paying attention he would have missed it.

Atticus smiled and finished the tea in his mug. “That he does,” he paused for a moment and decided to venture on. “They have been in love for decades and being together makes them stronger people.” Leaning forward Atticus took the teapot and refilled their mugs before continuing. “When I was younger, I searched for what they had.”

Charlie glared down at his tea. “I guess that isn’t in the stars for people like us.” He mumbled causing Atticus to break out laughing.

“Oh to be young and angsty. One bad boyfriend and you think being gay has cursed you.” Atticus chuckled and patted the young wizards leg. “Oh my dear boy, everybody gets at least one, maybe two if you are unlucky.” He said with a smile. “I have been lucky for the most part though my second partner left much to be desired.” Atticus took a deep breath as he mulled over just how much to tell the other wizard. He took a swig of tea and studied the table. “I was twenty-eight and probably should have known better…He was just so dashing at the beginning and I mistook possessiveness for adoration.” He gave Charlie a tentative smile. “No one knew about us. He was only my second relationship and I thought my family would react badly to it. His family probably would have had him killed. He was from an upcoming pureblood family and image was everything.”

The barrister let out a bitter laugh and looked down again. “I found out later that he was engaged the entire time we were together. I wish I had been honorable enough to break it off when I found out but he went on about how he was being forced to marry by his family. I finally broke it off when I found him in bed with the Seeker for Puddlemere United.  He followed me when I stormed off. We fought and he landed me in St. Mungos.” Not looking up he ran his hand through his hair nervously. “I was so afraid of being found out I told them I fell into a patch of devil’s snare. Everyone knew it was lie, devil’s snare doesn’t leave finger marks, but it was convenient and saved them from having to report anything to the Ministry.”

“Did your parents find out?” Charlie asked sitting on the edge of his seat.

“Have you met my parents?” Atticus chuckled as he hastily wiped a tear from his cheek. “He came by my room at St. Mungos to apologize and my parents overheard.” The wizard propped his head up and looked at Charlie with a watery smile. “My father came in after he left and told me that I was loved regardless of whom I loved. But to do my best to avoid falling in love with arseholes.”

Charlie swallowed and gave Atticus a lost look. “Do you still see him? Your ex?” 

“Unfortunately,” the barrister shrugged. “I see him on rare occasions, usually, when we both have business in the Ministry. We mostly ignore each other. He attempted one parting blow when he found out that his new wife snuck a fidelity oath into the wedding vows and my mother wouldn’t let him near me to be consoled.” Atticus chuckled. “I think she cursed him with the worse case of piles ever seen in all of Britian.” The wizard then furrowed his brow. “That was when he decided to report me to the Wizengamot. You see as a married man, he could be gay but his wedding contract meant that he wasn’t participating in an illicit lifestyle. I on the other hand.” Atti snorted at this last part before picking up the silver framed picture of Trixie on his desk. “My thirteen-year old cousin saved me. She volunteered to be my betrothed until I moved or one of us found someone.” 

Charlie gave Atticus a hard look. “Why would she do that?”

The older wizard frowned and took a deep breath before continuing. “Beatrice is a very kind soul, who understands what it is like to be discriminated against for what you are instead of being judged on the merit of who you are.” The barrister shifted and gently placed the photo back on the desk. “She knows that sometimes you have to play the system against itself and she was quite happy to in her words ‘stick the Man with his own petard’…Trixie has always been a bit rebellious.” He said this last part very fondly as he remembered the little girl in pigtail braids and overalls with a kneazal kitten in the front pocket that had convinced him that this was the best way around the problem and that she had a surefire loophole out of the contract should it be needed. He remembered how his mother, Aunt Queenie, and Effie Potter had worked their magic and when the time came for the announcement picture transformed a young tomboy into pureblooded wizard’s dream, a heterosexual one at least.

Atticus was pulled from his thoughts by Charlie. “If you were normal, would you marry her? I mean weddings between cousins aren’t too…” Charlie stopped as he noticed Atticus doubled over in silent laughed. The dragon handler gently swatted his arm. “Now you are just being rude.”

Atticus gasped for air. “Sorry…sorry…Trust me, Trixie is not in the cards for me. Trixie already checked and as she tells me every time I see her, ‘Normal is overrated.’” He smiled and pointed at Charlie. “You should meet her, I think you would like her and she would adore you. Not to mention, she has a list a mile long of every happy gay and lesbian magical couple in the States that she takes great joy in reciting.” The younger man was grinning now and Atti’s breath caught just a little at the way the man’s eyes sparkled like blue fire. _________________________________________________________________________________________________

April 3, 1993  
Scamander Residence  
Dorset, England

Charlie Weasley was pretty sure his head was going to explode from the shear magnitude of this moment. He was having tea at Newt Scamander’s house with the founder of the International Sanctuary Society for Sick Dragons and the International Coalition of Dragon Preserves. Every dragon preserve was under this witch’s direction at one point.

“Remember to breathe, Charlie.” Atticus whispered in his ear. The wizard’s breath on his neck made him want to swoon.

“You alright, Charlie?” Newt asked his voice flooded with concern at the sight of the young man’s knees buckling.

“Yes, yes.” Charlie said quickly as he straightened and inched away from Atti. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Madam Director.”

The woman took his hand and gave a hearty laugh. “It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Weasley. Newt and Dimi have both spoken very highly of you. And please call me Sybil,” the witch said in a voice that made Charlie almost want to salute. She wore her blonde hair in a short pixie cut. Broad-shouldered and curvy, she stood as tall as her beaming husband, Dimitar. “I retired months ago, although I am thinking of taking up a small appointment in Romania as a side hobby.”

Dmitar smiled indulgently at his wife. “This one is too smart for her own good. Less than three months at home and she is already getting bored with me.” The witch turned and whispered something into her husband’s ear that made him raise an eyebrow. “Perhaps, I can entertain you with that later, moya lyubov.” The ex-Auror replied with a wolfish grin that caused his wife to giggle.

Charlie blushed slightly at the display. Still dazed by the celebrity from the dragon world, he allowed Tina to guide him to the patio table for tea. “Don’t mind them, there is a reason why it is called the honeymoon phase.” She said squeezing his arm as he managed to keep his wits long enough to sit down. 

The rest of the afternoon seemed to fly by. He ate the best Victoria Sponge of his life, surprisingly made by Dimitar, and learned more about dragons in one afternoon of listening intently to amusing stories from Newt and Sybil than during his first year at the reserve. As the afternoon wore on, he noticed that the group had broken into couples. Both the Scamanders and the Krums seemed to just flow into each other with their movements and conversation.

Charlie suddenly felt very alone. He was pulled into a dark place where he almost missed Ivan, when Atti squeezed his hand and gave him an encouraging smile. From that point in the afternoon, he noticed Atti topping off his tea and placing the biscuits Charlie liked on the plate closest to him. He noticed how the older wizard would draw him into the conversation and sing his praises when Charlie downplayed his knowledge. A feeling of joy flooded the ginger wizard, it might only be as a friend but Atti loved him.

* * *

April 27, 1993  
Atticus Scamander’s House

Atticus leaned against the doorframe to Charlie’s room. It had ceased being the guestroom the second week of the dragon handler’s recovery. “Did you pack the burn ointment Sybil sent over?” He asked checking off the list of things Charlie should have on hand in Romania.

The ginger wizard chuckled. “Yes, Atti. I have the ointment Sybil sent and even if I didn’t she’s running the preserve now so I can just go to her office.”

Atti put his hands up in submission. “Sorry…I just worry.” 

“There is nothing to worry about. I love dragons and Ivan didn’t make it past Sybil’s first week in charge.” Charlie said with a wink.

“I know,” Atti said running his hand nervously through his hair. “It’s just…It is just…I am going to miss you, Charlie.”

Charlie looked up at Atti like a deer caught in a Lumos spell and the barrister panicked. “I liked having you around the place, you know? It was nice having a mate about, I forget how lonely this place can be.”

Atti thought for a moment that Charlie looked disappointed but the wizard was smiling at him. “It has been nice spending time here. I can’t thank you enough for everything you and your family has done.” He picked up his bag and headed towards the door. “I guess, I’m off then.”

“I guess, you are.” The barrister said feeling his chest tighten. Charlie walked passed him into the hall and Atticus gently touched his arm. “I wanted to give you this,” he said as he held up a key. “You are also keyed into the wards. In case you need a place to stay when you are in England.” The smile that Charlie gave him in response was the most beautiful thing Atti had ever seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG! It's so fluffy I am going to die! 
> 
> *Sings* Charlie is safe because Tonks is a BAMF *Does goofy little chair dance* Go Tonks beat up abusive boyfriends, Go Tonks stop the death eaters, Go Tonks shake your booty for your geeky werewolf boy. *Record scratch* 
> 
> Sorry, got into the wrong story there for a minute. 
> 
> Translations:   
> Brannsikker - Norweign for Fireproof  
> Moya Lyubov - Bulgarian for 'My love' 
> 
> Thank you for reading! My apologies for the long lag times.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. 
> 
> The new plan is for 9 chapters from Atticus's and Charlie's POV with updates every week to two weeks in between posts for Family is Everything. If anything is too weird or confusing, please feel free to comment.


End file.
